Changeable head



Jan. 2, 1934. JACQBSON 1,942,370

CHANGEABLE HEAD Filed March 21. 1930 2 Sheets-Sheet l INVENTO'R w M Q Q: EmanuelJacahsan BY Jan. 2, 1934. E. JACOBSON CHANGEABLE HEAD.

Filed March 21'. 19:50,,

2 Sheets-Sheet 2 AT RNEY INVENTOgs Emanuel Jaco 0n Patented Jan. 2, 1934 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 25 Claims.

This invention relates to lay figures and is particularly applicable to the heads of dolls, statuettes, window display dummies, artists dummies and. the like, as will be more particularly pointed out hereinafter.

My invention contemplates the provision of mobile or plastic features properly maintained in place on the head of a figure, whereby the features may be altered to suit the fancy of the user. The various objects of my invention will be clear from the description which follows, and from the drawings, in which,

Fig. 1 is a perspective viewof the head of a figure to which my invention has been applied, the head being partly broken away to show part of the plastic material.

-Fig. 2 is a vertical section thereof.

Fig. 3 is a similar central section of a portion of the head. a

Fig. 4 is a perspective view of a mask or die designed to be used in connection with the head for determining the shapes of the features.

Fig. 5 is a detail vertical section showing on an enlarged scale, a portion of the facial pocket, and the means for retaining the plastic feature in place.

Fig. 6 is a side view and partial vertical section of a modified form of head to which my invention has been applied.

Fig. 7 is a vertical section of part of another modified form of my invention.

Fig. 8 is a horizontal section on the line 8-8 of Fig. 6, and

Fig. 9 is a section similar to Fig. 5, showing a modified form of attaching means for the head surfacing.

My invention may take numerous forms, but in that practical embodiment thereof which I have illustrated by way of example, I prefer to provide a head, core or base as 10 having preferably a single opening as 11 forming the neck of the head. The-base 10 may be of any suitable material such as the saw-dust and glue or cement composition customarily used for doll heads or the heads of dummies or lay figures, or it may be of wax, fibre, bakelite or the like or any other comparatively inexpensive and moldable material.

It will be understood, however, that the base may be made of sheet metal, if desired, in two or more pieces 30 and 31 suitably joined together as shown in Fig. 6 by the joints 32 comprising tongues 33 entering corresponding slots 34.

, When made of metal, the base may be stamped,

cast or otherwise formed by means of dies or molds in a manner which is well known and hence which need not be shown nor further described. The shape of the base 10 may be that of the general form of the human or animal skull, the outer surface 12 of the base, however, being provided with suitable pockets or indentations as 13 for the reception of a sufiicient quantity of substantially permanently plastic material 14 as may be necessary for the molding or formation of the particular feature of the head into which the plastic material is intended to be molded. may be provided at points corresponding to the hollows of the skull, and the plastic material 14 arranged in said pockets in such a manner as to fill. out the hollows in simulation of the flesh and of the flexible muscles of a human or other head. As typical of the points where the pockets may be formed, I may mention the points corresponding to thecheeks, lips, nose, chin, eyebrows, and even the ears of the head.

While I prefer to make the base 10 imperforate except at the neck 11, it will be understood that Where the head is to be used in connection with movable eyes as 35 or where the teeth 36 form an.

- vided to hold a movable eye unit 38 such as is well-known and has been customarily used in connection with doll heads. Similarly, adjacent to and between the pockets 15 and 16 receiving the plastic material for the molding of the respective lips- 17 and 18, the teeth 36 may be suitably painted or otherwise formed on the base or on the covering therefor to be hereinafter described, or an opening may be made in the base between the pockets 15 and 16 through which a movable tongue as 39 may be passed, the tongue being moved by mechanism well known in the doll art and hence which need not be shown or described in detail, but as illustrated, extending from the eye unit 38.

If desired, the outer surface 12 of the various pockets 13 may be corrugated or otherwise roughened to hold the plastic material therein and to prevent said material from sliding completely out of the pocket under pressure.

For further aiding in maintaining the plastic material 14 in the pockets 13, I prefer to arrange a sheet of soft fabric 19 about the head, and over the plastic material 14 contained in the pockets. Said material may be cemented or otherwise permanently and immovably secured to those portions as 40 of the head which contain no In other words, the pockets 13 pockets. This may be done in many ways, as by steaming the material, applying adhesive thereto, and then pressing the steamed and gummed material with suitable dies and sufficient pressure to the unpocketed portions 40 of the base 10.

It will be understood, however, that the layer 19 may be omitted entirely or at various points if desired. The plastic material 14 may be held in place as by means of comparatively small pieces 42 of material adhesively secured to the head as at 41, Fig. 5, adjacent the pockets, or the edges of the pieces 42 may be stitched, nailed, screwed, riveted or otherwise secured thereto. In Fig. 9, I have shown tubular rivets 43 for this purpose, though it will be understood that tacks, screws, staples or the like may be substituted therefor.

To form that part of the head simulating the skin and hair, a sheet of covering material 20 may be applied to the head to cover the layer 19 where such layer is used, said sheet being secured to the head at those places 40 where there are no pockets. The sheet 20 may also be passed through the opening 11 or any other opening such as the eye, neck or lip opening and secured in place on the interior face of the base 10 as at 65,-

Fig. 6. I prefer to make said sheet 20 of suitable strong fiexible fabric such as silk, rayon or the like. The inner face 21 of the sheet 20 is preferably coated with a layer of flexible moistureproof material 44 such as rubber. Said sheet, however, may be made of any tough, flexible and elastic material such as fish skin or the like. The sheet 20 may be secured in place at 40 by suitable cementitious material interposed between it and the remaining unpocketed portions of the head and the sheet may be applied by steaming and pressure under dies suitably shaped to conform said sheet to the permanent portions of the head in a manner which is well known in the art of applying fabric covers to doll heads.

It will be understood, however, that since certain of the features are mobile and moldable, the sheet 20 is applied in close and permanent contact with the head only at the points 40 where there are no pockets and that the remaining portions 45 of said sheet 20 are preferably not stretched straight across the plastic material but may remain sufficiently mobile to move with the plastic material for allowing the formation of various shapes in the contour of the plastic material and to provide for the formation of depressions simulating wrinkles, dimples or the like without the formation of surplus material or loose folds and without the necessity for stretching the sheet. The sheet 20 may furthermore be provided with a suitable wig such as 22 secured thereto to simulate hair. The sheet 20 may further be painted or stained to the proper color to simulate skin. For this purpose, I prefer to use a flexible paint 23, such as a paint containing a substantial portion of rubber, gutta percha, caoutchouc or other flexible gum and preferably containing some resin or drying oil and some non-drying oil or grease. The paint may be spread as a layer over the sheet 20 or said sheet may be impregnated with such paint before or after the application thereto of the water-proof coating 21. The proper skin coloring may then be applied to the paint at the desired points as the cheeks 62, lips 17 and 18 and elsewhere.

It will be understood, however, that the paint may be colored or pigmented in advance and applied to the outside of the sheet 20 in any suitable manner as by brushing or spraying at the points desired.

The ears 24 may be permanently molded on the base 10 or may be partly plastic material 14 and partly of a suitably shaped, comparatively rigid though bendable plate 46 (Fig. 8). If desired, therefore, the ears may be given various shapes as the user may see fit.

It will be understood that the plastic material 14 is of such nature that it maintains the form into which it is molded and furthermore, does not harden during the normal life of the head.

As an example of suitable material well fitted for the uses intended, I prefer to employ nonresilient and inelastic sculptors modeling clay which has the property of remaining plastic and of pasty consistency indefinitely. Such sculptors clay furthermore, does not harden or disintegrate to any material extent, while being soft and pasty enough to be easily molded into the desired shape, retaining the shape'into which it is thus molded. In order that the outermost sheet or skin 20 may conform to the contours of the plastic material in the pockets 13, and to any contour into which said material may be molded, I prefer to mix with said plastic material, a com paratively small proportion of a non-drying adhesive such as lead plaster, or powdered rosin, or rosin dissolved in a small amount of glycerine'. This makes the plastic material just sufficiently adhesive to allow the sheet 20 to stay put into the position in which the plastic may be molded with the fingers, by pressure upon the sheet 20 at the proper points.

It will be understood that while I prefer to i use medium soft sculptors modeling clay for the plastic 14, any inert mineral filler such as kaolin, chalk or the like may be substituted therefor, particularly when suitably mixed with a nondrying liquid vehicle such as glycerine, to render I it pasty, and substantially non-resistant to deformation, and if mixed with a comparativelv small quantity of lead plaster, rosin or the like to render it slightly adhesive.

For use by comparatively highly skilled persons, the base 10 may be covered by a complete layer 47 of plastic material (Fig. 7) whereby a greater range of mobility of the head .is attainable, and a greater variety of effects may be produced. I have shown only a head in connection with my invention but it is to be understood that the head may be attached to a suitable body to form an entire figure, and that the body may be dressed as desired, to correspond with the type of head to which the invention is applied.

For example, where the lay figure is to be used as a window dummy, the body and head may be dressed accordingly and if desired, the expression of the features of the head may be changed at desirable intervals.

My invention may also be used for educational work as for the teaching of facial anatomy. It may be used by surgeons to teachface lifting. It may also be used in art schools for models since the expression of the features may be suitably changed or modeled as desired; or my in 7 that purpose.

fication, modeling or manipulation of the human face.

An important commercial use of my invention is in connection with toys such as dolls, since the user may model the features of the doll for amusement purposes to produce various amusing effects or in attempted caricatures of the face of a relative or friend.

For toy purposes, in order to make it comparatively easy for the user to change the features into predetermined forms, I prefer to use a die as of comparatively rigid material such as fibre, papier mach, bakelite, celluloid, pyroxylin, wood or the like. The die 50 is used by arranging it in the proper position on the face of the head so that the plastic material together with part of the sheet 20 enter the depressions 51, 52, 53 and 54, corresponding to the nose 61, cheeks 62, lips 17 and 18, and eyebrows 64, respectively.

The die is then pressed on the face, whereby the plastic material together with the covering part therefor of the sheet 20 enter the various depressions of the die and are molded to conform thereto by the pressure put upon the die as the die is forced on to the face. On the removal of the die, the various moldable features assume the predetermined forms imparted thereto by the die, which forms may simulate the faces of well known, famous or historical personages.

It will be understood that while I have shown pockets 13 disposed at various points for the manipulation of certain described features such as the nose, cheeks, lips and eyebrows, similar pockets may be otherwise arranged for the modeling or distortion of other features to provide an almost infinite variety of facial expressions. For example, the plastic material may be arranged in comparatively narrow, elongated pockets for the simulation of wrinkles and other characteristic facial lines, to make it possible to produce expressions and faces of greatly varied characteristics. Furthermore, by the use of wigs, moldable ears, and garments for the body of the figure, figures in simulation of males or females of any age may be reproduced and lay figures representing a great variety of types of humans in various period costumes may be produced. The pockets 13 may, if desired, be made bottomless, the base 10 having an aperture therein for In that case, the belt 19 may be arranged in the interior of the base as well as on the exterior surface thereof to hold the plastic 14 therebetween and the plastic feature thus formed may be moved into and out of the head bodily, if desired. It will also be understood that my invention may be applied to animal headsof various kinds as may be desired.

The modeling of the plastic material 14 may readily be accomplished. For example, to produce hollows or depressions in said material, pressure inwardly of the head may be applied by the fingers of the user to the sheet 20 at the proper point and along the proper area. The material thus displaced may be smoothed out to the proper contour. Should it be required to produce a convex surface, the user may press the plastic material at the sides to raise a lump and may then smooth out the lump to the proper shape, all of the modeling being preferably effected by operation upon the plastic through the intermediary of the skin or covering 20. Since the paint or coloration for said covering is elastic and flexible, the paint will not crack or peel and the coloration remains disposed at substantially the desired places.

The user may soon attain considerable skill in the manipulation of the plastic so that the head may be modeled into the resemblance or caricature of a definite person posing for the user.

While I have shown and described certain preferred materials and certain preferred arrangements of said material in connection with my invention and while I have indicated briefly, some of the uses to which my invention may be applied, it will be understood that I contemplate the use of various equivalents of the materials and of the arrangements hereinbefore described and many additional uses of my invention, and I therefore do not intend to limit myself to the specific materials, arrangements and uses hereinbefore mentioned but intend to reserve to myself my invention in its broadest aspect consistent with the state of the prior art and the terms of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A head ready for use comprising a rigid base having spaced depressions forming pockets therein, pasty plastic material in the pockets and extending outwardly therefrom, and a mobile cover for said material impervious to said material and adapted to conform substantially to any contour which may be given to said material.

2. In an article of the character described, a comparatively rigid base having extensions and depressions forming pockets therein and shaped generally in the form of a skull, plastic material substantially nonresistant to deformation to any shape, and arranged in said pockets, and moldable in simulation of features of various shapes,

a flexible sheet secured to the base adjacent the edges of the pockets for retaining the material in the pockets, and a flexible covering for the base and for said sheet, said covering being colored to simulate skin.

3. In an article of the character described, complete and ready for use, a deformable facial feature comprising a substantially rigid backing member shaped to form part of the feature, pasty plastic material arranged outside of the member, and a retaining member outside of the material, and secured to the backing member at points beyond but adjacent the peripheral limits of the feature.

4. In an article of the character described, a facial feature comprising a quantity of plastic material of pasty consistency and means conformable to the contour of the material for covering and concealing said material comprising a of pasty consistency forming a facial feature, of

a flexible member simulating skin and forming a cover for said plastic material, and a flexible non-cracking paint layer on the member deformable with said member.

6. In an article of the character described, a 1

'7. In an article of the character described, a

base, non-resilient, inelastic, deformable, plastic material of pasty consistency on said base, and a flexible member secured to the base for retaining the plastic material against removal within a limited area and adhering to the material to render visible the surface contour of the material regardless of the shape of said contour.

8. In an article of the character described, a base in the general form of a head, a flexible member outside of the base colored to simulate skin, and pasty plastic material, moldable by the manipulation of said member, retained between the member and the base, said member being impervious to said material and rendering visible the surface contour of the material.

9. In a complete article of the character described, ready for use, a plastic feature for a head comprising a quantity of plastic material of pasty consistency and a flexible covering member for limiting the positions into which said material may be moved, and for manipulating the material on the application of pressure to the member.

10. In a plastic feature for a complete head, ready for use, a covering of flexible material determining the visible shape of the feature, and moldable means of pasty consistency forming the interior part of the feature, and means for fixing the covering to the head at spaced points and thereby limiting the extent of the movement of the covering and the moldable means relatively to the head.

11. In an article of the character described, a substantially rigid base having depressions therein forming pockets, plastic material arranged within said pockets, a sheet of flexible material outside of the plastic material and secured to the base for limiting the area over which said plastic material may be spread and for retaining the plastic material in place at the pocket, and a covering of flexible material arranged outside of the flexible retaining sheet, water-proofed on the interior face thereof, and colored on the exterior face thereof to simulate skin, said member being adhesively secured to the head at points intermediate the pockets, and beyond the limits of the retaining sheet.

12. An inanimate changeable head, and adapted to have the appearance thereof varied by the manipulation by the user, including mobile fea tures adapted to be changed in size and shape by the user after the headhas been otherwise completed, said features being formed partly of an amorphous, mineral plastic of permanently pas'y consistency, adhesive and permanently moldable and retaining the shape into which it is molded until said shape is changed by pressure, and means impervious to said plastic for retaining the plastic within a predetermined area determined by the limits within which the plastic is to be molded, the thickness and amount of the plastic at any particular point being capable of variation by the user, said means adhering to the plastic to determine the visible shape of the feature.

13. In a changeable face doll, a sheet metal base, a member secured to and extending from said base, slightly adhesive inelastic plastic material of pasty consistency arranged about said member and a cover for said base and said member secured to said base and adhering to the surface of said plastic material.

14. A plastic feature for a head, comprising a substantially rigid interior portion, a quantity of plastic material arranged on the exterior face of and projecting from said rigid portion, a fabric cover for said material secured to the rigid portion beyond the limits of the area occupied by said material and a second sheet cover for the first-mentioned cover impervious to said material and secured to the rigid portion at points beyond the area occupied by said material.

15. A head ready for use comprising a hollow, rigid base having parts of facial features thereon, pasty inelastic, amorphous material, having a moist ingredient and arranged outwardly of said parts to complete the features, and a mobile cover for and impervious to said material adapted to conform substantially to the surface contour of the material, said contour being changeable by the user on pressure applied to the cover.

16. A head ready for use comprising preformed rigid parts of facial features, pasty, amorphous, inelastic material completing the features and adapted to be molded repeatedly into various forms, and means for retaining the pasty material in place on the head comprising a mobile cover, pressure on which effects manipulation of the material, said cover being permanently secured to the head and in contact with the outer surface of the material.

17. In a head of the character described, a substantially rigid base, covering for the base, and dense, permanently plastic inelastic material interposed between the cover and the base at predeiermined points corresponding to facial features of the head, the covering being secured to the base at intermediate points to permanently confine and retain the material in an area between said points.

18. In an article of the character described, a head including a rigid base in the form of a shell, plastic, amorphous and inelastic material of pasty consistency arranged on said base and sheet covering said material and preventing contact of the user therewith, said sheet retaining said plasiic material against separation from said base, and being secured at spaced intervals to said base.

19. A finished doll head having mobile features, each including a plastic portion and a rigid portion, the plastic portions of the features being of pasty consistency and of inelastic, amorphous and infusible material capable of resisting heat, and means for maintaining said portions against removal from the head comprising a covering for the material secured to the head.

20. In an article of the character described, mobile facial features for a manikin including a quantity of pasty, inelastic, amorphous plastic material, said material comprising an inert filler, a non-drying liquid vehicle maintaining the material moist and moldable and a non-drying adhesive, a fabric cover for the features, held by the adhesive against the material, and a coating of flexible paint on the cover.

21. A plastic facial feature for the head of a manikin, comprising a body of inelastic plastic material of pasty consistency rendered slightly adhesive, an inelastic flexible covering for the plastic material adhering thereto and deformable therewith and an outermost coating of flexible paint containing rubber, colored to simulate 140 skin on the flexible covering.

22. In an article of the character described, a rigid base, a flexible cover for the base preformed into facial features and including rubber, and pasty material arranged between the cover and 145 the base and adapted to adhere to the inner face of the cover, whereby pressure upon the cover effects variation of the shape of the plastic material and of the preformed features of the cover.

23. In an article of the character described, a 150 rigid base having a depression therein, a flexible cover preformed into facial features, and pasty material rendered slightly adhesive protected by the cover and arranged between the cover and the base, said facial features being changeable on pressure applied to the. cover.

24. Inan article of the character described, the combination with a quantity of plastic material, of pasty consistency, of a flexible cover simulating skin and preformed into facial features and forming a cover for said material, and a 

